This publication is part of the activities of the Global Network for Sustainable Housing (GNSH) managed by the UN-Habitat Housing Unit. The handbook presents practical solutions to outgrow accessibility barriers for persons with disabilities and older persons in the contexts of slum upgrading, reconstruction, large-scale affordable and social housing programmes. 

This handbook aims to bridge the existing gap between the needs and rights of persons with disabilities and older persons with slum upgrading, reconstruction, large-scale affordable and social housing programmes. Through the provision of concepts, major policy approaches, practical information and technical tools, the handbook intends to build capacity regarding designing and implementing accessibility in identified contexts. Likewise, it brings into light the implication and the global importance of developing accessibility of sustainable human settlements.

This volume investigates the state of affordable land and housing in Europe and North America (countries that comprise the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It explores the major trends in housing provision, conditions, availability, and quality; analyses housing policy responses and practices; and provides key recommendations for local, national and international policy initiatives that can increase affordable housing supply.

This volume demonstrates that housing affordability is a pervasive and escalating issue in European and North American countries. Rising socio-economic inequalities are gentrifying and dividing cities and making adequate housing unaffordable for low- and many middle-income households. The rental housing stock has been diminished in favour of home-ownership which is invariably more expensive and difficult to secure.

Furthermore, the need for essential maintenance and the high cost of services in post-war multi-storey housing in Eastern European countries is placing additional pressure on housing affordability in these countries.

Countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region were the first in the developing world to go through rapid urbanization. Today, the region is the second most urbanized region in the world. This urbanization process has been accompanied by sharp social contrasts and economic disparities, a buoyant informal housing and land development process and increased local democracy and municipal autonomy, coupled with active social urban movements. This makes the Latin America and Caribbean region a unique landscape in the study of land and housing for the poor. 

This study brings forward the complexity and richness of the housing responses undertaken by national and local governments, as well as NGOs in the region, with the aspiration to inspire other regions where similar trends are arising. Shedding light on critical indicators and the overall housing needs of the region.

This publication provides an authoritative study for housing experts, policy makers, whilst enhancing our knowledge about the ways in which countries of Latin America and the Caribbean address land and housing needs.

In the vast majority of countries land and housing affordability is a critical contemporary challenge. While in different countries and regions the specificities of the challenge vary, the universal truism is that it is becoming increasing difficult for the vast majority of urban residents to obtain and retain adequate and affordable land and housing. This series canvases the state of affordable land and housing in four regions facing major affordability difficulties: Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and Europe and North America (member countries of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe). Each volume firstly explores the major trends in housing conditions, availability, quality and tenure modalities.

Following this, each volume analyses housing policy responses to address growing affordability problems and the improvement of substandard housing conditions. Lastly, key recommendations for local, national and international policy initiatives that can increase the provision of affordable housing in the respective regions is provided.